(2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org 
For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that
(2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that
(2021-02-01). South Africa receives its first 1 million-dose batch of Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
The first coronavirus vaccine shipment to South Africa has arrived in the country, as it struggles with the continent's highest caseload alongside a more transmissible strain of the virus. | A plane carrying the vaccines touched down at OR Tambo international airport on Monday. The load of one million AstraZeneca jabs, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), were warmly welcomed, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other high-ranking officials in attendance. | Late in January, the president
(2021-02-01). England's health officials begin urgent tests amid fears South African Covid strain now spreading in communities. rt.com 
Urgent testing for the highly contagious South African strain of Covid has been ordered by Public Health England (PHE) as 11 cases were reported across Britain by Monday afternoon amid growing fears of community transmission. | Authorities are to step up testing for the new variant in London, the Southeast and the Midlands. So far, PHE has ordered new tests in eight separate areas of England. | Initially, PHE reported two people who had no travel links to South Africa tested positive for the mutant strain in Surrey on Monday morning. | Just like the UK mutant strain discovered in November, the South Africa var…
(2021-02-01). Afghanistan War Exposed: An Imperial Conspiracy. popularresistance.org The perpetual occupation of Afghanistan has become so normalized and mostly serves as background noise to Americans -it's even jokingly referred to as the "forever war" – accepted as just a constant reality. A soldier dies now and again. A couple dozen civilians get killed in another bombing. It's never enough to stir the population to pressure Washington to stop it. The endless war drags on. | Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80's through today's senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it's time to #EndTheFore…
(2021-02-01). Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals. middleeasteye.net 
Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals | Trump's son-in-law and his deputy Berkowitz have been nominated by a friendly attorney who defended the former president in his impeachment trial | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 06: 42 | Jared Kushner played a key role in brokering Israel's normalisation deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Moroccco (AF…
(2021-02-01). Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq | Meanwhile, a US diplomat says Washington has failed Syria, Egypt appoints convicted security director as senior state official, and Kuwait investigates entire embassy staff in Cuba over house-storming incident | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 13: 58 | Iraqi pupils wearing masks attend class on the first day of the new academic year…
(2021-02-01). Uganda's presidential election challenged in court. yenisafak.com Recent presidential elections in Uganda, won by President Yoweri Museveni, have been challenged in the country's top court by opposition leader Bobi Wine.Ugandan pop music star Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, Monday challenged the recent presidential elections in Supreme Court.The East African country's Electoral Commission on Jan. 16 announced Yoweri Museveni as the winner in the elections held on Jan. 14 followed by Bobi Wine, who refused to concede defeat.His legal team comprising over 10 lawyers is led by Medard Ssegona and Anthony Wameri.Briefly addressing the media outside the court, Medard…
(2021-02-01). Under the Current Rules, Vaccines Are Only Going To Rich Countries That Can Afford It. commondreams.org Despite Bill Gates' stated commitment to an equitable distribution of the Covid vaccine, he is refusing to back South Africa and India's calls for a waiver on patents. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gates_2.jpg …
(2021-02-01). Greek schools reopen despite 3rd Covid wave fears. laprensalatina.com Athens, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Greece reopened secondary schools on Monday as fears of a third wave forced the government to tighten restrictions. The full or partial opening of high schools was announced ten days ago, after almost three months of closure. Authorities in Thessaloniki detected the first confirmed case of the South African variant of …
(2021-02-01). Libya vote offers renewal and reconciliation chance, says veteran UN negotiator. news.un.org All Libyans have a chance at national reconciliation and renewal once the country's representatives, who have begun meeting in Switzerland, vote on a new executive, UN negotiator Stephanie Williams said on Monday.
(2021-02-01). UN envoy condemns terrorist attack on hotel in Somalia. news.un.org The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack on a hotel near the international airport in capital Mogadishu that left at least five people dead and dozens more wounded.
(2021-02-01). UN independent experts call for 'justice, accountability and reparation to victims' in Sudan. news.un.org Recent intercommunal violence and deadly attacks in Darfur have prompted two independent UN human rights experts on Monday to urge the Government of Sudan to urgently implement strong measures to ensure the safety of civilians, including the internally displaced.
(2021-02-01). City-State or Empire? The United Arab Emirates Seeks dominance in the Horn of Africa. juancole.com By Usman Butt | — ( Middle East Monitor) — Since the 2011 Arab Spring the United Arab Emirates has been taking an active role in a number of hotspots from Egypt, Libya to Yemen. The Gulf nation has spent $26 billion annually on its defence budget since 2016 and this is expected to increase …
(2021-01-31). Pandemic claims 35 lives in Libya. yenisafak.com The coronavirus pandemic claimed 35 lives in Libya and caused one fatality in Bahrain on Sunday.Libya's National Center for Disease Control said in a statement that the COVID-19 sickened 981 people over the past 24 hours, while 1,349 patients recovered.The country's count now rose to 118,631 cases, including 1,877 deaths, and 98,706 recoveries.In Bahrain, the Health Ministry said the Gulf state's death tally rose to 373 after one patient had died from the virus, while 655 new infections were registered.The country's nationwide count now stood at 102,626 cases and 98,160 recoveries.Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic…
(2021-01-31). Explosion hits Mogadishu airport checkpoint. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (MNA) — Media outlets reported a terrible explosion hitting a checkpoint of Mogadishu airport in the Somalian capital on Sunday.
(2021-01-31). Research shows humans began consuming milk even before evolving to digest it. peoplesdispatch.org A study that appeared in the scientific journal Nature shows that people in today's Kenya and Sudan were consuming milk products at least 6000 years ago…
(2021-01-30). Algeria begins Covid-19 campaign with Russian vaccine. middleeasteye.net 
Algeria begins Covid-19 campaign with Russian vaccine | Algeria says it is trying to get enough vaccines to cover the whole country | Sat, 01/30/2021 – 22: 18 | An Algerian health worker holds up a vial of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine (AFP) | Algeria launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Saturday with the newly arrived first shipment of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. | The campaign…
(2021-01-30). New Zealand: COVID-19 cases highlight risk of new outbreak. wsws.org Three cases of the highly-contagious South African variant of COVID-19 point to serious shortcomings in New Zealand's managed isolation and quarantine system for returned travellers.
(2021-01-30). Algeria starts COVID-19 vaccination campaign. yenisafak.com Algeria has started its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, according to local media.State-run television aired images of a health worker being vaccinated in the southern Blida province, an epicenter of the COVID-19 virus."Blida was chosen in a symbol move at the start of the vaccination campaign since the province was the first epicenter of the pandemic last March," Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid told a press conference.Jamal Fourar, the head of the anti-virus national committee, said the months-long vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate around 80% of the country's 44 mill…
(2021-01-30). 'Despicable act': India condemns BEHEADING of Gandhi statue in California (PHOTOS). rt.com 
Indian authorities expressed outrage as the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Davis, California, gifted by the government of India in 2016, has been torn down and vandalized by unknown assailants. | "The Government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice," India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a Unknown persons vandalised statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Centr…
(2021-01-30). What is a continuing nuisance? ukhumanrightsblog.com 
Harrison Jalla and others v. (1) Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (2) Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited [2021[ EWCA Civ 63 — read judgment A traditional phrase in the common law, such as "continuing nuisance", may mean a number of things in different contexts, as we will see clearly from this oil …
(2021-01-30). Open toileting plagues cities in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com With flies hovering all over the vicinity of the crowded slums of Epworth, an urban settlement approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) east of the Zimbabwean capital Harare, laden plastic paper bags lie scattered on streets and sidewalks, with small children rummaging through garbage and vendors going about their normal business oblivious to the wafting stench of human waste.For 45-year-old Tambudzai Munondo, one of the residents in the slums of Epworth, strangely, they have become used to co-exist with human waste, saying they cannot do anything about it."Most of these homes you see here have no toilets and it'
(2021-01-30). Turkish president meets Guinea-Bissau, Senegal leaders. yenisafak.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday met with his counterparts from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal in Istanbul.Erdogan's meeting with Guinea Bissau's President Umaro Sissco Embalo and Senegal's President Macky Sall started at 2.00 p.m. [1100GMT].The meeting, which was closed to the press, lasted an hour and a half.
(2021-01-30). [Obituary] Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas. thelancet.com Leading expert in global health. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on Nov 25, 1931, and died in Ibadan, Nigeria, on Dec 25, 2020, aged 89 years.
(2021-01-30). [Seminar] Multiple myeloma. thelancet.com Multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological malignancy in high-income countries, and typically starts as asymptomatic precursor conditions—either monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or smouldering multiple myeloma—in which initiating genetic abnormalities, such as hyperdiploidy and translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain, are already present. The introduction of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, and CD38-targeting antibodies has extended survival, but ultimately the majority of patients will die from their disease, and some from treatment-relat…
(2021-01-30). [Seminar] Biliary tract cancer. thelancet.com Biliary tract cancers, including intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal cholangiocarcinoma as well as gallbladder cancer, are low-incidence malignancies in most high-income countries, but represent a major health problem in endemic areas; moreover, the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is rising globally. Surgery is the cornerstone of cure; the optimal approach depends on the anatomical site of the primary tumour and the best outcomes are achieved through management by specialist multidisciplinary teams.
(2021-01-30). Canada To Help Cuba Develop and Export Its Biofertilizer NEREA Æ. telesurenglish.net The discussions between the Canadian and Cuban counterparts centered around a natural Cuban fertilizer, NEREA Æ, which the Caribbean island has been developing for the past 20 years. | Company director Mark Perlman represented IZC, while the negotiations are the result of months of planning and meetings to conclude three major agreements. | RELATED: | Furthermore, the Candian and Cuban negotiatiors formalized the w…
(2021-01-30). Parents of Sandy Hook victims: Naming of Marjorie Taylor Greene to education panel an attack on all 'whose loved ones were murdered in mass shootings'. nationofchange.org "Giving Representative Greene the platform to spread dangerous dogma only rewards and normalizes this abhorrent behavior, places already vulnerable groups in danger, and further traumatizes survivors."
(2021-01-29). Africa's Last Colony: UN Must Hold Long-Overdue Vote for Self-Determination in Western Sahara. mintpressnews.com 
By unilaterally ending a 29-year ceasefire, Morocco highlights the urgent need for the UN to make good on its commitments to Western Sahara.
(2021-01-29). Covid-19: UK bans direct flights from UAE, shutting world's busiest international route. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: UK bans direct flights from UAE, shutting world's busiest international route | UAE added to travel ban list over worries over spread of more contagious Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 07: 43 | On its website, Emirates said it would suspend all UK passenger flights from 13: 00 GMT on Friday, when the ban takes effect (AFP) | Britain is banning…
(2021-01-29). PDF of January 28 issue. workers.org 
Download the 12-page PDF. Biden appoints warmongers 30-year U.S. war on Iraq; Workers on the move; No waiting to confront Biden; Webinar vs. racism; Women's clinic attacked; Anti-imperialist feminism. Editorial: Socialism vs. capitalism. Hank Aaron, civil rights icon; Rubin Kanowitz, °presente! GLOBAL: Vietnam; Tunisia. TEAR DOWN THE WALLS: Crushing ICE; . . . |
(2021-01-29). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org British energy strike continues over "fire-and-rehire"; French teachers, school nurses and students walk out over pay and Covid safety issues; Dutch metal and electronic workers strike over pay; Nigeria's non-teaching university staff to strike over cuts, pay and conditions…
(2021-01-29). America's Half a Century of War in Somalia Comes to an End. Sort Of. mintpressnews.com 
Despite Trump's decision to remove troops from Somalia, ramped-up airstrikes and record death tolls prove that America's bloody legacy in the region is not over.
(2021-01-29). "After 13 Years, Justice!" Dutch Court Orders Shell Oil to Pay for Harm Done to Nigerian Farmers. commondreams.org "Victims of environmental pollution, land grabbing, or exploitation now have a better chance to win a legal battle against the companies involved." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/shell-appeals-court-compensation-nigerian-farmers.jpg …
(2021-01-29). Central African Republic: 200,000 displaced in less than two months. news.un.org Violence and insecurity related to the recent elections in the Central African Republic (CAR) has forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes in less than two months, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday, warning tens of thousands are facing dire living conditions.
(2021-01-29). United States: Capitol Hill insurrection teaches us only mass action can defeat the far right. greenleft.org.au Studying the lessons of the attack on the Capitol and the events leading up to it is essential to defeating the white-supremacist, far-right threat, write Malik Miah and Barry Sheppard.